Teen charged with over 300 felonies in alleged sextortion scheme: reports
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A high school senior in Pennsylvania faces hundreds of felony charges after authorities accused him of operating a “large-scale criminal network” that included sextortion and catfishing.
Zachariah Abraham Meyers, 18, of McMurray, about 25 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, was arrested Friday and charged with more than 300 felonies, including trafficking of minors, sexual extortion, unlawful contact with a minor, distribution of child sexual abuse materials, among other crimes, according to a court document obtained by Fox News Digital.
According to local sources, police allege Meyers, a senior at Peters Township High School, used social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to persuade victims to contact him. WTAE And WPXI.
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A view of Peters Township High School in McMurray, Pa. (Google Maps)
Investigators interviewed 30 underage boys during the investigation and identified at least 21 victims, WPXI reported.
Authorities say Meyers used photos of others to post victims. According to WTAE and WPXI, one of the allegedly fake IDs belonged to an adult film actress from another country.
“Meyers succeeded in deceiving and coercing young men into sending sexually explicit pornographic images and videos of themselves,” authorities said.
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Authorities say Meyers used photos of others to post victims. (Getty Images)
Evidence obtained from Meyers’ phone allegedly linked him to criminal activity, WPXI reported.
Meyers is being held in the Washington County Jail pending a preliminary hearing.
He was denied bail and is considered both a danger to the community and a flight risk, according to the court document.
Peters Township School District said in a statement to WTAE that police have notified the district of the ongoing investigation.
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Police allege the student used social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to persuade victims to contact him. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Police have determined there is no immediate safety risk at our schools and we will continue to fully cooperate with the investigation,” the Peters Township School District said in a statement. he said.
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“The safety and well-being of our students, staff and families remains our top priority, and we appreciate all of the efforts of the Peters County Police in this regard.”
The Peters County School District and the Peters County Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
